| Zach Johnson wins the '08 Valero Texas Open | Sunday 10/12, 8:22 PM CT |
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Zach Johnson found his putting touch in time for a season-salvaging victory in the Valero Texas Open, according to the Associated Press. "I've been working on my putting over the last six weeks with my teachers, and it really paid off this week," Johnson said. "I had a tough year, but the putts started to fall in today, and that's why I'm at the top of the leaderboard."
Our View: The 2007 Masters champion who entered the week with only one top-10 finish this year, followed his third-round 62 with a 64 on Sunday for a two-stroke victory over Charlie Wi (61), Mark Wilson (63) and Tim Wilkinson (64). The win in the Falls Series event, capped by a 5-foot birdie putt on 18, was his first on the PGA TOUR outside Georgia. In addition to the Masters, he won the 2004 BellSouth Classic and 2007 AT&T. Johnson never trailed on the back nine, but both Wi and Wilkinson keep the pressure on with birdie putts of their own. On the par-4 18th, Johnson hit his drive more than 300 yards and put his 9-iron approach to 5 feet. |
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| Stroud enjoys strong outing at Texas Open | Sunday 10/12, 8:17 PM CT |
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Chris Stroud enjoyed his best week of the year, finishing T6 at this week's Valero Texas Open, according to PGATour.com. Stroud's previous best in 2008 was a T12 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun.
Our View: This is Stroud's third career top-10 and two of the three have come in this event. In a rare coincidence, Stroud was 13-under and T6 last year, and was 13-under and T6 this year too. |
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| Rookie Wilkinson makes most of Texas Open | Sunday 10/12, 8:14 PM CT |
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New Zealand rookie Tim Wilkinson had his finest week of this, his rookie season, according to PGATour.com. Wilkinson had weekend rounds of 63-64 and tied for second at the Valero Texas Open.
Our View: Wilkinson entered the week No. 112 on the money list, making 13 of 25 cuts with a pair of top-10 finishes -- T6 at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular and 3rd at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He earned $336,000 and vaulted up to No. 84 on the money list. |
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| Schwartzel takes Madrid Masters | Sunday 10/12, 8:11 PM CT |
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South Africa's Charl Schwartzel shot a 5-under 66 Sunday to win the Madrid Masters by three strokes over Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina, according to the Associated Press. Schwartzel, who had led since the halfway point, overcame sickness and shoulder and back pain to finish at 19-under 265 for the tournament at the Club de Campo golf course.
Our View: Schwartzel's previous European Tour victory came in last year's Spanish Open. Gonzalez, who shot a 62 on Saturday, posted a final-round score of 68 and finished at 16 under. Pablo Larrazabal (67) placed third at 15 under, one better than fellow Spaniard Alvaro Quiros (64) and England's Robert Rock (64). |
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| Seve diagnosed with bran tumor | Sunday 10/12, 8:02 PM CT |
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After a career full of miraculous shots, including one from a parking lot during his first British Open win, Severiano Ballesteros was preparing for the "hardest challenge" of his life Sunday after announcing he has a brain tumor, according to the Associated Press. The 51-year-old Ballesteros was set to undergo a biopsy Tuesday before doctors determine how to proceed. "Once I had been able to inform my three children personally and their mother, I can now communicate to you the illness I am suffering from," Ballesteros said. "After an in-depth check up which has been carried out on me in the La Paz Hospital they have detected a brain tumor." Ballesteros did not give any more details on the test results. It was unknown whether the tumor was benign or malignant.
Our View: The swashbuckling Spaniard was well known for being able to manufacture a shot from just about anywhere, a feat that earned him the title "Car Park Champion" at the 1979 British Open. The Pedrena native found the green from a parking lot next to the 16th fairway at Royal Lytham & St. Annes before sinking a long birdie putt on his way to his first major title. Ballesteros, who won a record 50 times on the European tour, won the British Open three times and the Masters twice before retiring last year due to a long history of back pain. He has since focused mostly on golf course design. |
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| Sabbatini takes lead at Valero Texas Open | Saturday 10/11, 11:46 PM CT |
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Rory Sabbatini grabbed the 54-hole lead with his third-round 63 today on the links of La Cantera Golf Club, home of the Valero Texas Open, according to PGATour.com. Sabbatini, a four-time PGA TOUR winner, is at 14-under par 196, one stroke better than Zach Johnson.
Our View: The 63 is one shot off Sabbatini's career-best of 62, which he shot in the final round of the 2006 Sony Open in Hawaii (8 under) and the third round of the 2007 Crowne Plaza Invitational (8 under). Sabbatini had also posted 63 three times previously in his career, including the opening round of the 2003 Valero Texas Open. |
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| Leonard makes surge at Texas Open | Saturday 10/11, 11:42 PM CT |
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Defending champion Justin Leonard birdied the final hole for a 6-under-par 64 in third-round action today at the Valero Texas Open, according to PGATour.com.
Our View: When Leonard started the day, he was tied for 68th place. When he finished play at 11:50 a.m., he was at 7-under 203 and tied for fifth place. At the end of the day, Leonard's total found him tied for 19th. |
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| Tway posts strong day at Valero Texas Open | Saturday 10/11, 11:36 PM CT |
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Veteran Bob Tway made a run up the leaderboard with a 6-under 64 in today's third round at the Valero Texas Open, according to PGATour.com. He now sits at 202 (-8) through three days, seven strokes off the lead.
Our View: Tway, who tied for second here in 2003, finished his round with a bogey at the par-4, 18th hole and is at 8-under 202. Tway is making his 16th start in this event and has made the cut in his last nine starts here. |
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| Wilkinson makes move at Valero Texas Open | Saturday 10/11, 11:32 PM CT |
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New Zealand rookie Tim Wilkinson moved into contention with a 7-under 63 in today's third round at the Valero Texas Open, according to PGATour.com. The round is one stroke off his season/career best -- an 8-under 62 in the third round of the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii. Wilkinson is tied for third after 54 holes, three back of leader Rory Sabbatini.
Our View: Wilkinson entered the week No. 112 on the money list, making 13 of 25 cuts with a pair of top-10 finishes -- a tie for sixth at the Puerto Rico Open presented by Banco Popular and 3rd at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Wilkinson is at 11-under 199, which matches his low 54-hole total in 2008 (Sony Open in Hawaii). For the week, the lefty from Palmerston North is 1 under on par 3s, 8 under on par 4s and 2 under on par 5s. |
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| Z-Johnson makes big move at Texas Open | Saturday 10/11, 11:29 PM CT |
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Former Masters champion (2007) Zach Johnson moved near the top of the leaderboard with his 8-under 62 in third-round action today at the Valero Texas Open, according to PGATour.com. Johnson is making his first start on TOUR since The Barclays (Aug. 21-24), where he missed the cut. Johnson was nearly perfect Saturday, hitting 13 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens. Johnson is at 13-under 197, which matches the lowest 54-hole total of his career (2007, THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola). His 62 is the second-lowest score of his career, bettered only by a 10-under-par 60 in round three of THE TOUR Championship last year.
Our View: Johnson has only one top-10 finish in 21 starts this year, a tie for ninth at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship back in March. He comes into the event No. 125 on the money list. His lead held up most of the afternoon, until Rory Sabbatini birdied the final hole to finish at 14-under par. |
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